Avonhurst new hire doubles partner numbers in just two months

LONDON – New advisory law firm Avonhurst today announced it will be joined by new partner, Marco Crosignani. This marks the fourth partner hire since the firm launched, doubling the partner numbers to eight in just two months.

Qualified in New York, England and Wales and Italy, Crosignani’s practice focuses on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, structured finance, distressed credit transactions and financial regulation. He advises private equity firms, asset managers, funds and investment firms both in developed and emerging markets. Before joining Avonhurst, Crosignani held executive roles at various investment banks in New York and London, including spending time on secondment at Goldman Sachs in New York. He previously worked in the London offices of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and Morrison & Foerster and the Milan office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and joins Avonhurst from VTB Capital, where he was Head of Legal for Global Fixed Income and Global Equities.

Avonhurst, which launched in London in July, is a mould-breaking advisory firm founded by leading figures in the capital markets, banking and finance and real estate sectors. It was created to meet the changing needs of sophisticated capital by providing a bespoke offering comprising legal, legislative/political risk advisory and capital services. Founded by former Jones Day partner and leading capital markets and funds lawyer Jonathan Bloom, the firm’s day-one team included former Head of Banking and Finance at PwC Legal Laetitia Costa, and Nigel Heilpern, who headed the London real estate and real estate finance department at King & Spalding. The new arrival is the fourth partner hire since the firm’s launch (and the fourth with a magic circle background), following that of Ian Frost, James Wyatt and Emmanuel Amos.

Jonathan Bloom, Chief Executive of Avonhurst, comments:“We are delighted to be joined by Marco, who brings with him not only extensive experience in international capital markets and finance, but invaluable insight into the challenges and demands faced by our clients. Avonhurst was founded to provide bespoke advice that is tailored to the complex needs of sophisticated capital and, having worked in-house at leading investment banks in London and New York, Marco has a wealth of understanding of the commercial drivers and business realities facing clients in the finance, funds and capital markets spheres. Through his time working at VTB Capital and Goldman Sachs, he also brings with him a network of strong relationships in the finance community.

Marco’s arrival is the fourth senior hire we have made in just two months. That we have been able to attract so many partners of such stellar quality in such a short time since launching is testament to the calibre of Avonhurst’s offering and the appetite in the market for the innovative, client-driven approach we provide.”

NOTES TO EDITORSLaunched in July 2019 with a substantial client portfolio, Avonhurst is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of sophisticated capital by providing a bespoke offering comprising legal, legislative / political risk advisory and capital services. A group of market-leading founders and influencers from the legal world have created a revolutionary advisory business dedicated to helping funds, capital providers, corporate borrowers and issuers, and secured lenders, navigate the complexities of ever-changing markets.

Avonhurst offers a new model, based on an innovative combination of expert advice, smart use of technology and an agile approach to pricing that eschews the rigid models employed by traditional law firms. The firm concentrates on offering core legal services covering banking and finance, restructuring, high yield capital markets, corporate, real estate, financial regulatory and tax. (Other legal advice such as IP, litigation and employment, is accessed from best friend firms.)

Marco Crosignani is a partner at Avonhurst, joining from leading financial services firm VTB Capital, where he was Head of Legal for Global Fixed Income and Global Equities. His previous experience includes nine months spent on secondment at Goldman Sachs in New York, where he was Member of the Legal Department (Derivatives and Commodities) and his practice areas included credit, equity and FX derivatives, bespoke CDS, TRS and other hedging strategies on a variety of asset classes, OTC derivatives regulation, central clearing and Dodd-Frank implementation. He was part of the team that won the IFLR “Structured Products - Team of the Year” and “Structured Products - Deal of the Year” awards (London, April 2007) at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and also worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Milan) and Morrison & Foerster (London). He is fluent in Italian, English and French.

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